Demian Maia could be next in line for a shot at the welterweight strap.

The decorated Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt is set to battle Jake Shields in the main event of UFC Fight Night 29 in Barueri, Brazil Wednesday. Should Maia impressively dispatch the one-time title challenger, he could receive a crack at the winner of the upcoming 170-pound championship bout between Georges St. Pierre and Johny Hendricks.

“Definitely,” UFC president Dana White told reporters on a media call Monday. “Demian Maia is ranked No. 4. Shields isn't ranked, but a win over Shields is still a big win.”

A former middleweight title challenger, Maia has been on a tear since dropping to welterweight last year.

After picking up a bizarre TKO win over Dong Hyun Kim — the bout was stopped due to the South Korean judoka suffering a freak rib injury — Maia netted impressive victories over Rick Story and Jon Fitch.

As for Shields, the Cesar Gracie Jiu Jitsu fighter is in the midst of working his way back up the 170-pound ranks.

Following a brief return to middleweight against Ed Herman, which saw Shields suspended nine months for failing his post-fight drug test, the former Strikeforce 185-pound champ opted to drop back to welterweight. He then won a close, if somewhat controversial, split decision over Tyron Woodley in June.

White said Maia is Shields' ticket back into the top 10.

“Yeah, this is a big fight for him, it's an important fight for him, obviously,” White said. “Not only is Maia ranked, he's ranked in the top five. A win will be a big win for Shields and obviously a huge loss for Demian Maia. So this a dangerous fight for Demian and a very important fight for Jake Shields.”

In many ways, Shields and Maia are cut from the same cloth.

Both fighters are known for their strong wrestling, suffocating top control and tight submissions. Since they offer similar styles, their bout could either be a technical mat clinic, or a five-round stalemate. Shields, in particular, has long been considered one of the best grapplers in MMA, but his name isn't exactly synonymous with excitement.

White said, like him or hate him, you have to respect Shields.

“Believe me, people have been b----ing about Shields for years, with his style of fighting,” White said “But you see the way that the kid fights. Every time Shields goes in against somebody who's got really heavy hands and knockout power, everybody's like, 'This dude is going to knock Shields out.' Dan Henderson was going to knock him out. His last fight, he just beat Tyron Woodley. Tyron Woodley has awesome wrestling and heavy hands. Everybody thought Woodley was going to knock him out.

“He's got this crazy style where he throws people off.”

White said he expects Shields and Maia to engage in a ground war.

“There have been grappling matches that have had me at the edge of my seat and jumping up and down going crazy,” White said. “And then there are some grappling fights on our shows where I wish somebody would run over and punch me in the face.

“I think the Maia-Shields fight is going to look a lot like the fight Demian Maia had with Fitch. In Brazil they appreciate the ground. So I'm sure they'll love it. But who knows? This thing could go either way. This thing could look like the Maia-Fitch fight, or they could stand up and punch.”

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Glover Teixeira will challenge Jon (Bones) Jones for the light-heavyweight championship, but the fight won't take place on the UFC's annual Super Bowl weekend card.

UFC officials initially announced the bout for UFC 169 in Newark, N.J. Feb. 2. However, during a recent media call, company president Dana White said his public-relations team made a mistake.

“Our people f---ed up and put that out when they shouldn't have put that out, because that was never a done deal,” White said. “So our PR team jumped the gun on that one and put that out when it wasn't true.

“I honestly, to this day, still have no idea how it got released.”

According to White, Jones and Teixeira will likely face in March. He has also yet to sign a main event for UFC 169, though the card will feature a heavyweight clash between Alistair Overeem and Frank Mir.

Jones's most recent outing saw him win a close unanimous decision over Alexander Gustafsson in one of the greatest fights in UFC history last month. White confirmed he plans to re-air the classic encounter on FOX in the near future.

Though fans and media members were clamouring for an immediate rematch, Jones lobbied for a bout with Teixeira. The Brazilian slugger is currently riding a 20-fight win streak, but has yet to beat a top-five contender.

As for Gustafsson, the Swedish striker will fight early next year. Should he be victorious, he will receive another title opportunity.

White dismissed any notion that Teixeira doesn't deserve a shot at Jones.

“People are talking about, 'Oh, he got clipped in this fight and the (Ryan) Bader fight he was wobbly,'” White said. “The guy might get clipped and look like he's in trouble, (but) he wins and he wins by viciously knocking guys out. He's a tough guy. It's a very tough type of fight for Jon Jones.

“People will flip it to, 'Oh, now he's ducking Gustafsson. That's who he should be fighting.' He's not ducking Gustafsson, he's going to fight Gustafsson. But before that, he's going to fight another killer in Glover Teixeira. The guy's on a 20-fight win streak and he's knocking everybody out. It's another seriously dangerous fight for Jones. Then after he fights this dangerous guy, he's going to go back and fight Gustafsson again.”

Win for Maia over Shields at UFC Fight Night 29 could go a long way

Demian Maia could be next in line for a shot at the welterweight strap.

The decorated Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt is set to battle Jake Shields in the main event of UFC Fight Night 29 in Barueri, Brazil Wednesday. Should Maia impressively dispatch the one-time title challenger, he could receive a crack at the winner of the upcoming 170-pound championship bout between Georges St. Pierre and Johny Hendricks.

“Definitely,” UFC president Dana White told reporters on a media call Monday. “Demian Maia is ranked No. 4. Shields isn't ranked, but a win over Shields is still a big win.”

A former middleweight title challenger, Maia has been on a tear since dropping to welterweight last year.